Zeeman correction (Background error)

Heya everyone :D

So today I am talking about the Zeeman effect normally seen in absorption spectrometry.

Zeeman effect!! more like He man effect LOL.

Remember guys, He Man had a sword which was divided in half and when joint together became a true power sword.

Well in Zeeman effect the light passing from the source gets divided into 2 sigma and 1 pi component and when combined gives the true value of the absorbed light.

Area wise: 2 sigma components = 1 pi components.

Polarization : Sigma components are perpendicular to the magnetic field.

                      Pi component is parallel to magnetic field.

Hence this background error can be corrected based on the principle of polarization of light in the magnetic field. 

A magnetic field is superimposed on the radioactive source in method 1. As pi bands are absorbed by the analyte and background interference and sigma bands are absorbed only by the background interference, the difference between the two signals is the background correction.

In method 2, the magnetic field is superimposed on the cell containing analyte. The radiation first passes the rotating polarizer before entering the field the cell.The absorptive lines are split into pi and sigma bands. the pi bands have the same wavelength that of the emitted radiation. 

Therefore when radiation of parallel polarized light enters the cell, both the analyte and background interference absorb. But when the light is perpendicularly polarized,only the background interference absorbs. The difference between the two alternating signal is due to the analyte alone and thus gives the background corrected reading.

I know understanding this is a bit difficult, I have tried my best to simplify it though.

Hope it helps you all.

Lots of love

-Staph